Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: Ranking teams in the 2019 Charleston Classic

By Mychal Hunter

CINCINNATI, OHIO - FEBRUARY 24: Tyrique Jones #0 of the Xavier Musketeers celebrates after the 66-54 win over the Villanova Wildcats at Cintas Center on February 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - FEBRUARY 24: Tyrique Jones #0 of the Xavier Musketeers celebrates after the 66-54 win over the Villanova Wildcats at Cintas Center on February 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 29: A detailed view of a referee. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 29: A detailed view of a referee. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

6. Missouri State Bears

Here’s the thing: the Bears ranking sixth of eight in this tournament is not an indictment of them. It speaks more to the quality depth of this tournament. In reality, Missouri State is more than likely going to be a very good ball club this season.

Head coach Dana Ford goes into his second season with an absolutely loaded roster. Ford is a popular young coach who many people around the country believe has the ability to turn the Bears into an MVC power. Though he lost second-leading scorer Jarred Dixon to graduation, the Bears will be in a position to be a Missouri Valley contender this year.

Returning is leading scorer Tulio Da Silva (14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game) as well as 6-foot-5 guard Keandre Cook, who averaged 12.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Both players shot 37% or better from behind the arc.

In addition to the two key returnees, Coach Ford is bringing in two excellent graduate transfers in Lamonte West and Anthony Masinton-Bonner. West, who comes in from West Virginia, is a 6-foot-8 forward who can shoot it from deep. While he certainly has the potential to a huge player in the MVC, both his offensive and defensive ratings actually regressed each year with the Mountaineers. It will be very interesting to see how he performs after transferring down.

Masinton-Bonner, formerly of Colorado State, is a 6-foot-2 guard who averaged 11.2 points per game last season. He is not a high volume three-point shooter – 250 attempts in three seasons -but he does shoot 40% from behind the arc for his career.

Coach Ford also received some good news on July 15 as top-200 point guard Ford Cooper committed to Missouri State and will re-classify from the 2020 class to 2019. Cooper is a 6-foot-3 point guard out of Charlotte. He is a high energy guard who won’t be relied upon to score as much as just run the team while he is on the floor.

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